Sliding shoe



July 30, 1929.

H. W. SHONNARD SLIDING SHOE Filed March 25, 1928 0 p m N0 m O 2 F m i 0 Z J P a F G W E J 2 M E h if 7 J a w Q m/ D L Patented July so, 1929.

UNITED STATES I Y 1,722,828 PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD W. SHONNARD, OF MON'ICLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 1'0 ELEVATOR SUPPLIES COMPANY, INC., OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SLIDING SHOE.

Application filed March 23, 1928. Serial No. 264,094.

This invention relates to closure operators, and is applicable particularly to doors and other closures which are adapted to slide back and forth in their own planes.

Specifically it is an object of this invention to provide means for permitting the greatest possible freedom and ease of movement of such sliding closures as doors, curtains, shutters and the like. In this connection it is proposed to supply both suspension and traction means for such closures, preferablyat least in the case of horizontally sliding doors, for examplein the form of an overhead rail on which the supporting door hang 'ers are free to roll, together with a track under the lower edge of the door along which i the door is free to slide in response to any moving effort directed against the door.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide means tending to compensate for any warping or disalignment between different portions of the door. Specifically I describe and illustrate herein the preferred means for accomplishing such compensation, consisting of the provision of shoes or runners secure-d to the lower portion of the door and movable relatively to the door proper, and adapted to slide along, or within, the door track above referred to.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a plurality, or at least a pair, of such relatively movable runners on the'lower edge ofthe door, and to so mount these runners that they 'will tend to align themselves one with the other at all times and during the entire movement of the door, irrespective of any warping or disalignment between different portionsof the door proper.

Other objects and advantages to be derived from the use of the novel structure described herein will become apparent as this description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 shows a pair of doors of a form frequently used in elevator practice, consisting of two doors horizontally slidable along parallel tracks at different speeds.

Figure 2 is a side elevation .view of the lower portion of the doors of Fig. 1, also showing the pair of tracks or grooves for the doors, to-

' gether with a showing of a portion of the novel compensating means of this invention.

Figure 3 is aview of thenovel compensating means separate from the doors and tracks,

showing in perspective the compensating means in position on the door.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a pair of horizontally slidable doors 1 and 2, adaptedto slide along their respective tracks 3 and 4 1n response to a moving effort which may be directed against the doors through the manipulation of the toggle levers '5 and 6, for example, these toggle levers being of a type frequently used in elevator practice. Elevator doors of this character are adapted to be opened either by power means so positioned and so controlled from the elevator as to act upon the levers 5 and 6 to open the doors'when the car is adjacent thereto, or

they may be manually opened by the elevator operator through the instrumentality ofthe handle 7 I Any suitable suspension means may be provided for'the doors 1 and 2, but in the preing movement imparted to the toggle levers 5 and 6 will cause the doors 1 and 2 to slide along their respective tracks 3 and 4 at dif ferent speeds and in respdnse to the rolling movement of the hangers {8 and 9 along the raillO.

It frequently happens with doors and other closure devices that warping or disalignment' takes place either inthe initial manufacture of the door, in the process of installing the door .in place in the building, or as a consequence of later accidents or conditions afi'ecting the true dispo'sitionfiof the doors. For example, a mechanic in? installing doors of this character very ofteri strains a portion of the door and bends it from the true plane of the remainder of the door in his efforts to secure the door to its pendant bolts or in his efforts to eliminate any binding between the door and the track or framework of the building The result of such warping, and of'the tendency of any such'initial warping to increase in extent and degree during use of the 'door, is to cause more or less binding to take place between the door and its suspension .may on occasion fail to close or properly function, thereby creating a hazard to life and limb.

It is the purpose of this invention to prevent such difficulty arising by the provision provided with a recess portion as indicated at of a compensating device which neutralizes and renders such difficulties inconsequential in actual operation of the door. Referring to Figures 3 and 4 the mechanism which I have provided for this purpose and which is desig nated as a unit by the reference character 11, comprises a rectangular member12 suitably secured at either end to a suitable surface 13 on the door'2. As shown in Fig. 4 the door is 13 and 14 of suflicient depth to permit the insertion of the rectangular member 12 and of the remainder of the compensating device. It is apparent, however, that other provisions may be made for the fastening of the member 12. Thus for example, where doors are of the hollow frame type rather than of solid material, as is the case with the door illustrated in Fig. 4, a suitable ledge or shelf may be provided at the proper height for the attachment of the member 12.

The under surface of the member 12 is preferably provided with shoe or runner mechanism which in the preferred embodiment as illustrated comprises an angle member 15, a

depending runner 16, and a clamping piece 17 by which the runner is held 'in position against the angle 15. The runner 16 is adapted to extend downwardly into the groove 4 which constitutes the trackway in the sill 18, and to eliminate unnecessary friction and noise the runner 16 is preferably made of fibre or some similarnon-metallic' but sturdy substance. While only one of the runner assemblies is illustrated in Fig. 4 it is intended to provide a similar runner unit at or near the opposite edge of the-door as illustrated at 19 in Fig. 1.

In order to permit a relative movement of the runner units 11 and 19 with respect to the associated door 2, and in order to permit the said runners to align themselves one with the other at all times and irrespective of the curvature or warping of the door 2, the connecting members, such as 21, which hold the runner unit 11 in association with the corresponding rectangular lug 12, are of such a nature as to constitute pivotal connections between each runner unit and its associated lug. This pivotal connection is preferably effected by'the use of a pivot pin 21 which is passed through a hole of proper diameter in the lug 12, and also through a hole of smaller diameter in the angle member 15, as shown at 22 in Fig. 3, the pin 21 having its lower end of a correspondingly reduced diameter.

Any suitable means may be provided for fixedly securing the pivot pin 21 to the horizontally disposed leg of the angle member 15, but as illustrated in Fig. 3 the fastening is effected by upsetting the lower end of the pin to fit snugly in the counter-bore 23 on the under surface of the member 15.

After the angle member 15 has been thus pivotally connected to the lug 12, the nonmetallic runner 16 may be secured against the depending leg of the angle member 15 by placing the member 16 against the depending leg and then clamping it in position by the application of a clamping piece 17 which is made fast to the members 15 and 16 .by suitable means such as a plurality of rivets 25. Other clamping means may be used, however, as will be obvious to those skilled inthe art; for example, instead of using an angle member 15, a U-shaped member might be used and' the non-metallic runner16 forced into such U-shaped member.

As indicated in Fig. 2 a slight clearance is preferably provided between the runner 16 themselves in true alignment with each other and in doing so will compensate for any curvature of the door proper by turning about the pivot pins 21 in the lugs 12. In this manner any possible curvature of the door or framework 18 becomes immaterial, so far as having any effect on the routine operation'of the door is concerned, inasmuch as the runner units 11 and 19 are capable of adapting themselves to any such curvature in either the door or the framework.

Other constructions and arrangements of parts may be employed, as willbe obvious to persons skilled in the art,,without departing from the scope of this invention as disclosed herein and defined in the appended claims. Furthermore, although the invention has been described with particular reference to its use on horizontally sliding doors, it is quite obvious that it is equally suitable for use on vertically sliding doors and on other closures ggxch as curtains, shutters, screens, andthe I claim:

1. Means for compensating for misalignment between a sliding door and its trackway comprising a runner extending into the trackgaging the opposite side and also the upper edge of said runner, fastening members passing through said clamping piece, runner and right angled member, and a swivel connection between said door and right angled member permitting free turning movement of the runner independently of the door.

2. Means for compensating for misalignment between a sliding door and its trackway comprising a runner extending into the trackway, a flat clamping piece engaging one side of said runner, a right angled member engaging the opposite side and also the upper edge of said runner, fastening members passing through said clamping piece, runner and right angled member, and a swivel connection between said door and right angled member permitting free turning movement of the runner independently of the door, said swivel connection comprising a pin capable of revolving relatively to the door but fixedly secured to said right angled member.

Signed at Hoboken, in the county'of Hudson and State of New Jersey this 22d day of March, A. D. 1928.

HAROLD W. SHONNARD. 

